Sustainable Development in Mechanical Engineering: Case Studies in Applied Mechanics

Due to their specialized training, engineers play a crucial role in the design and development of new products and infrastructure, as well as in the creation of wealth. Consequently, engineers recognize that they have a specific responsibility in the performance of these functions to take such measures as are appropriate to safeguard the environment, health, safety and well-being of the public. This book proposes a series of fifteen practical cases, integrating knowledge from different fields of the mechanical engineering discipline, along with basic knowledge in environmental, occupational health and safety risk management. The case studies provided are descriptions of a real system, its functioning and its instructions for use. The systems selected represent a broad spectrum of mechanical engineering issues and problems, such as fluid mechanics; thermodynamics; heat transfer; heating, ventilation and cooling; vibrations; dynamics; statics; failure of materials; automatics and mecatronics; hydraulics; product design; human factors; maintenance; and rapid prototyping, to name a few. The professional objective of the examples provided is to design or improve the design of the described system. This book is essential in transferring knowledge to future engineers with respect to thehazards resulting from their work.